Muni Think

A toll-charge proposal could disarm congressional opponents and create some hope for legislative success.

After a quarter marked by increased interest in taxable issuance, strengthened state support for local credits, and rising demand from investors seeking shelter from volatility, the municipal market is adapting to its new tax law realities.

Let’s allow public agencies to issue advance refunding bonds provided they pay the U.S. Treasury an amount equal to the forgone federal income tax revenue.

Public entities are especially susceptible to email scams because open records and open meetings laws and transparent operations make it easy for criminals to conduct reconnaissance on employees and transactions.

Some of the legal precedents potentially being set in Puerto Rico erode the expectations and good order of the municipal bond marketplace that finances the activities of states and municipal instrumentalities nationwide.

The new tax law may have accounting implications for previously hedged tax-exempt Libor based loans.

Despite the absence of adequate federal funding levels, the plan advances a vision — greater involvement of the private sector with public infrastructure — and then details how the federal government will pursue this new infrastructure paradigm with its vast authorities.

A Volcker Alliance study suggests that while California is reasonably prepared to withstand any future recession, it will still struggle in a downturn.

While there are aspects to the proposal that a municipal professional may admire, it’s not inherently obvious that the shift to a 20/80 split between federal and local funding will produce results.

While the SEC’s MCDC initiative concluded in 2016, its shadow continues to lurk over the municipal bond market.